Crickets
by AllTheEndlessPossibilities
Summary: Summary: In the coldest night of winter, the Crickets brought him here. The last thing Jo expected that morning when she had accidentally bumped into Lacey and Danny was to be run over by a car. She didn't expect to be kidnapped but above all, the last thing she imagined was being held captive by Vikram Desai. They say a Cricket's chirp is a warning sign for death.


So I know I still have the other Janny Fic on Haitus but I was a little inspired with a different muse for this one shot so here we go.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twisted or its character. They belong exclusively to ABC FAMILY

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"Won't be long now," The muggy smell of heat made it difficult to breathe. Even though the sky had darkened and the breeze had cool down, the airless heat still lingered and made it difficult for her to breathe. Her eyes wouldn't open properly and she could feel the pain that numbed her lips. She knew the heat was naturally impossible in the middle of winter but somewhere she could hear the small buzz of a heater running. The left side of her face ached and she struggled to breathe beyond the heat, her ribs broken and making it impossible to inhale without the need to shout out. She was scared, so intensely terrified to the core, not even when Danny had killed his aunt Terra had she been this mind numbingly afraid.

"Open your eyes." She felt the cold, long fingers dig into her face, into the hollows of her cheeks. "I said open your eyes!" the voice rose just slightly, exuding authority, forcing her eyes to open slightly. Their naturally light blue darkened to that of the depths of the ocean. She felt pain from just opening her eyes and she felt tired. "There you are Masterson." He said, reaching out to push her hair out of her face. The blonde tangles covered in mud, dirt, and blood, making it a thick mixture of colors.

It took a moment for her eyes to focus, to adjust to the moonlight. She wasn't sure where they were but she assumed it to be abandoned. She sat on a chair, not sure how she got there to begin with but at least it helped, she wasn't sure she could stand on her own. The throbbing pain on her leg began to stir her out of the fog that clouded her mind and she was almost positive her leg was broken, she couldn't move it and it felt heavy. She couldn't remember much of how she got to where she was, the last thing she remembered were the high beams of a car that speed in her direction.

Had she been run over?

How was she even alive?

She could hear the soft chirping of Crickets; a groan left her lips as she lifted her head to look around, eyes coming in and out of focus. She couldn't say she recognized where she was. The man that stood a few feet from her though, him she recognized. How could she not recognize him? He was as beautiful and charming as his son. Vikram Desai. He turned to look at her once again; his smile on any normal occasion would be mesmerizing, dazzling even but at this moment it caused her pulse to jump in fear. When he began to approach her she felt the panic surge through her.

"Hello Jo," He said reaching out to touch her again. She wanted to move but moving proved difficult and painful. His long cold fingers took hold of her face and pulled her towards him, a cry of pain left her bruised lips and she watched that smile curve in deeper on his face. He was enjoying this. "You've grown quite beautifully." His eyes examined her and shook her. She felt a slimy sort of feeling fill her. The way he looked at her, it brought back in her, a horror she never wished to relive. "Did you miss me?" He asked her and she said nothing but his smile continued to grow.

Cynicism, he was oozing with it.

Some part of her could not comprehend the question and a much darker, much hidden part of her screamed and begged to be released knowing full well what he implied. Opening her lips to speak she found her mouth dry, it took so much effort to just simply lick her lips.

"Yo-You're alive?" She managed to say, she had never imagined speaking to be so painful.

"I am…" He trailed, his finger caressed her moist lips, his eyes watched them and she felt that slimy feeling again. "very much alive." She could read the intent in his eyes, what he wanted from her as those deep hazel eyes drifted to her lips. Disgust. That slimy feeling she felt when he touched her was disgust.

"Where am I?" her voice croaked as she spoke.

"Not relevant." Was his reply.

"Did you run me over?" she questioned breathlessly, watching him stare at her silently a moment. She couldn't say she remembered the impact but she could remember the moment just before. He stood and walked a few feet away from her before answering.

"Certain measures had to be taken." He said carefully "To make you come willingly," he turned back to her.

"Running me over with a car and rendering me unconscious is still technically forcing me to come with you." Her sarcasm was still intact; she wondered though why she wasn't dead.

"You see it one way, I see it another." He moved closer to her again. Though in pain, by now Jo was very much awake and capable of thought and reason. She tried to sit up straight and groaned from the discomfort it caused her to move.

"What do you want with me?" She asked, trying to breathe and mentally figure out how bad her wounds really were.

"Bait, to say the least," He grinned at her "I'm baiting someone."

"He won't come." She replied quickly, knowing full well who he baited. "I've pushed him too far away."

"That doesn't mean that he has stopped needing you or protecting you." She felt the tears that began to surge her eyes at his words. She wanted to believe Vikram but she thought back to her words, how she had walked away from him even though he tried to desperately to hold onto her; to some semblance of normalcy. No, Danny Desai would not be looking for her, by now he was too preoccupied to realize she was missing.

"How long have I been unconscious?" She finally asked, realizing she had no idea how long she had been missing. If what was said was true then Vikram Desai had run her over with his car, the impact had been enough to cause damage but not enough to kill her, though she wondered if she should fear internal hemorrhaging. "You ran me over with a car, I need medical assistance."

"When I was in college there was a moment in which I believed I wanted to do some good. Save lives." He began, starting a completely, seemingly random topic. "So I took courses in medicine and got a license as a paramedic." Understanding registered in Jo. "Although you are badly injured, it's not something I couldn't immediately take care of. You'll live for now."

_For now._

Those words caused her heart to stop. Did those words mean he intended to kill her later? While Danny watched? Was he so cruel? Was he so cynical that he would let his son watch her die? It made her ask the question. . . what had Danny done to Vikram to cause so much hatred? Or did Vikram never love his son to begin with?

"He doesn't know I'm missing." Jo said softly, sadness filled her thinking that. He was probably too busy with Lacey trying to prove his innocence to realize she wasn't around anymore and she'd prefer it that way. Was it not her who pushed him away? Was it not her who told him to go? She could not expect him to come to her rescue when she acted so bitter towards him; in the end he was still the only man she ever truly loved and losing him or watching him suffer would tear her apart.

"He's a smart boy he'll figure it out." As her senses began to heighten and awaken she was suddenly made very aware of something she had forgotten of until that moment.

"No he won't" Vikram's smile haunted her, the tears began to fall and make trails on her blood stained cheeks. "He won't come."

"You say that with such confidence." She simply watched him, eyes filled with tears but she simply watch him; in return he watched her, with the same silence that she watched him and for a moment all they did was watch each other until he turned his back towards her, hands behind his back. She could visibly see the wheels of his mind turning. His back being turned to her, however; gave her the chance to move. Lifting her hand was possibly the most painful thing in the world but she moved as quickly as she could; reaching into her shirt and then into her bra to withdraw the pocket knife she had hidden there earlier that morning.

She had happened to run into Lacey and Danny that morning, opting to ignore them as she walked past them. Her shoulder bumped Danny's which caused the pocket knife to fall out of the pocket of his sweater. He didn't stop to apologize, neither of them did and she didn't expect them too so when they continued walking she didn't think much of it. Her foot had stepped on the knife and she had to bend down to pick it up.

She had almost called out to them, but she stopped herself as she looked at it. His initials carved into the knife. Gripping it tightly she went to put it in her pocket but stopped, thinking anyone would notice the small bulge of the knife in her tight jeans, so instead tucked it in her bra where only she knew it would be there.

"Do you plan to kill me?" she asked him, it took her so much effort to command her fingers to open the pocket knife. Still he faced away from her, "Do you intend to kill me as punishment to him?" He was silent for a long stretch of time, almost as if he stood there contemplating the question in itself.

She wasn't sure how she would time it, or how she would manage the strength to stand to fight him off. She'd figure her body would produce that surge of adrenaline when the time came, already she could feel the pulse of it running through her system so she had to act quickly. The adrenaline would numb the pain long enough to get her far and away, long enough to run away from this man and to the safety of society.

She pushed herself up off the chair, trying so hard not to make a single sound. Her leg was broken, the left one; leaning on that leg was absolutely out of the question which only made her escape plan, that much more difficult. She would have to focus all her energy on hopping around her right leg to get away and then stumble her away around. She managed to stand, balancing on the one leg. He turned around then, a few feet away from where she stood a bemused look on his face.

"_What_ do you think you're doing?" his voice carried a hint of humor as if he found her actions comical. Straining she tried to keep her balance without hopping around to maintain it.

"Honestly?" She asked him, swallowing back a groan. "Absolutely no idea," she clutched the knife tightly in her hands, unsure as to how she was going to go about it but one way or the other was getting out. "I'm still working out the details."

"You're very cute," he took a step towards her, hand extended as if to push her down but she moved quickly, the blade in her hand slicing the palm of his hand causing him to cry out in surprise and pain. "What the hell are you doing!?"

" Like I said," she hopped a few feet away from him and towards the door. "No idea." She glanced towards the door, if she could use both feet she could make a dash for it but since that's out of the question she was going to have to figure it out.

"Fuck Jo," He cursed, holding his hand. "That fucking hurt."

"Yeah welcome to my world." She grinned at him watching annoyance fill his eyes. "I'm fucking hurt all over." She winced but was grateful for the adrenaline that currently rushed through her, her heart hammered furiously in her chest and she felt like she could run a mile. The pain at least had lessened.

"Look here you-" Vikram's words escaped him. As Jo stumbled back she bumped into a table and on that table was his gun, her fingers had been quick to feel it and her hand fast the pick it up and point it at him. "Easy now Jo," He said cautiously. She knew that he knew that he had to tread lightly; she was a sixteen year old girl with multiple injuries due to a car accident who was desperate to get as far away from him as possible, regardless of what that meant, even if it meant killing him. "You could seriously hurt someone with that."

"You mean like you've hurt me- DON'T" she shouted as he took a step towards her, "No, don't you move." She brought the gun to her and cocked it before quickly pointing it at him again. "My father is the sheriff; he taught me how to use this." She informed him, watching as he stood up straight and perfectly still. "And I'm a remarkable shot."

"Why don't we talk about this?"

"I really don't feel like talking right now."

"Jo, look at me," He said gently, giving her that award winning smile. "It's me, Mr. Desai, Danny's dad."

"I am looking at you." Her hand was steady, eyes cold. "I'm looking into the face of the man who ran me over with a car and kidnapped me." His eyes hardened and he took a step towards her, her finger was quick on the trigger and just as she had mentioned she hit her target. The bullet of the Glock .22 swiftly launched from the pistol and rushed towards him, piercing his upper left shoulder in a matter of seconds. He cried out in pain, his hand quickly trying to cover the injury that had begun to spill blood. "I told you not to move Desai."

"Jesus Christ Jo!" He shouted half angry half in pain. He staggered a bit as he held his wounded shoulder. His big brown eyes stared at her with confusion and astonishment; he had genuinely believed that she would not dare to shoot at him. "I didn't think you'd actually shoot at me!"

"I didn't think you'd ever run me over with a car."

"Are you not letting that one go?" He stood a bit straight; annoyed that she threw that one at him constantly, sounding a bit like a broken record.

"No," She said incredulously. "You fucking ran me over with A CAR! I will not let that go! You broke my leg, I assume some ribs and I have pain all over my body! HOW AM I GOING TO LET THAT ONE GO!" Her voice rose by the second, her anger swelling. Vikram shrugged.

"I didn't kill you," He said as if that made up for everything. This man, this ridiculous man simply shrugged it off as if he did her a favor. She couldn't believe him, where did her get off thinking he could do as he pleased. "At least I didn't shoot at you,"

"No," Jo said, eyes dark and angry "No you didn't, but you did intended it." Again he shrugged and she could feel her anger bubbling higher. "Why are you doing this?" her voice was low and calm, Vikram cocked an eyebrow curious. He could physically feel her anger from where he stood; this calm anger was far more dangerous than the scattered and jumpy teenager from a few moments ago. She reminded him of Tess, all those years ago when they were around her age.

"You look like her," He said gently, thinking back to her mother when she was Jo's age. "So much like her." He had changed the topic but the calm anger was building inside of Jo.

"Like who?" she dared to ask, allowing him momentarily to veer the conversation in a different direction.

"Like your mother," His eyes saddened for a moment and Jo's anger wavered for a moment, but only a moment. "You look so much like Tess, my Tess."

"She's not yours." Jo shot, his eyes darkening "She's married to my father and I'm damn sure she won't be so happy to discover what you've done to me."

"I'm sure she'll hate me." He grinned at that "but at least she'll think of me. Now I can't have Danny have what should have been mine to begin with." Confusion filled her at his words. "If only I had stayed with your mother, you would have been born my daughter."

"You can't change that. The past is the past."

"Yes but I can alter the future to my liking." He smirked at her "I'm baiting more than one person with you here." Jo's eyes registered understanding. Her father….

"You're trying to get rid of my father?" She question, that anger made the blue of her eyes darker, more threatening, calm like the clouds before a fierce and dangerous thunderstorm.

"You're not getting far in that state." He informed her, Jo knew it too. She had stalled too long, the adrenaline was leaving her and she was beginning to feel the pain again but she hoped the anger sustained her a little longer. "Yes, I plan to kill him and let my son take the fall for it."

"I won't let Danny take the blame for this."

"You won't have a choice," His eyes bored into hers "You won't have a voice or reason to say otherwise. Just like you couldn't do anything to stop him from taking the blame for Tara's death" His voice was firm, his back straightened when he spoke. "I will kill you, and I will kill Chief Masterson and blame everything on my son." As the words left his mouth she heard the sound of the bullet ripping through the sound barrier and watched as it soared through the air racing frantically in Vikram's direction. She didn't remember pulling the trigger but she had felt the power of the pistol come to life in her hand. She watched the moment the small yet powerful bullet forced its way into his abdomen, ripping through his flesh and embedding itself into his insides. Vikram's eyes opened in shock for than in pain, the pistol trembled in her hands as he clutched his abdomen. His kneed buckled under him and she watched as he slowly collapsed to the ground.

Shaking she watched him, shaking she realized what she had done.

Then his voice echoed in her head. Danny….had taken the blame for Vikram's crime. Danny…..had never killed his Aunt Tara…Danny had been and was…..

"Innocent" the words tumbled out of her mouth like a sinful whisper.

The unbearably melancholy sound of The _Neighbourhood_'s song "_Sweater Weather_" covered by Max Schneider and Alyson Stoner began to play somewhere to her right, but she didn't move. She recognized it as her ring tone, she had fallen in love with the cover on YouTube and created a ringtone for her phone; but couldn't find the strength to reach out and pick up the cell phone that rang on the table beside her. The song stopped playing and the silence followed for just a few seconds before it began to play again.

In slow and shaky movements she managed to make her hand move. Her eyes never left Vikram's body, though his chest moved up and down very, very slowly; she knew he would be dead soon. Sliding her bloody fingers over the touch screen of her IPhone, not bothering to check who it was, she answered.

"Hello?" Was that her voice? That hollow and emotionless sound she heard? Was it her?

_"Jo"_ Daniel Desai's voice had her heart jumping in her chest; she felt the tears come and could do nothing to stop them. The pain of her injuries, coupled with the shock of her actions began to make the air around her difficult to breathe. _"Jo! Jo?! Can you hear me! Jo!" _his voice was frantic, scared. She could hear it in his voice, the pleading of the unspoken question. Where are you? Where was she?

"Danny," her voice choked, gripping the phone tightly. "Danny….help. me." she couldn't breathe and the words came out strained. She was trembling, suddenly chilly. Closing her eyes she tried to block the image of Vikram's dying body. "Help me." She cried and she could hear him beg her to tell him where she was. "I don't know." She replied.

_"What do you hear, what do you see?"_ he was pleading, begging her to react but she was so numb and the air was getting closer. Shock, she was going into shock_. "JO!"_ He shouted at her panicked. Her breathing was unsteady but she tried to focus.

"Crickets," She said gasping for air, she felt like she was suffocating. Her chest constricted and tightened, her gasping was getting louder and she felt that panic rush through her. "I hear crickets" She managed but her body was launching itself into a full blown panic attack. She was completely terrified out of her mind.

"I'm going to find you!" He kept talking but she couldn't hear him, she only felt her body slowly collapse to the ground. She should have shouted from the impact her leg received as she hit the ground and further aggravated her injuries but she was too overwhelmed to really react. She could feel herself hyperventilating, feel the way the numbness engulfed her. Her heart hammered furiously in her chest. How long would it take for Danny to find her? Would Vikram's life have left his body by the time that he arrived? Would he bring her parents? Would he? How was she going to live with the fault of having killed Danny's father?

She killed Danny's Father. . . She killed Vikram . . . She killed Danny's father . . . She killed Vikram. . . She. . . took. . . a life.

All her life had been sheltered, sure shattered in innocence by the tragic fate that sent Danny away but in some sense there had still been that sense of some innocence about her. When had she derailed so much from the quiet and recluse girl who had one friend? When had it just done that complete 180 degree turn? Was it when Danny set foot back into her life? Was it when she let herself be wrapped into the mysterious murder of Regina Crane? When she slept with Tyler in spite and anger because Danny didn't love her? When? When had that seemingly normal life she had helped her parents to create, that peaceful if not sheltered life burst and shatter around her?

She couldn't breathe.

The tears were burning her eyes as she watched Vikram and she felt incapable of breathing.

In the distance, she swore she heard someone call out her name but she couldn't be sure, her eyes just focused on the slow rise of Vikram's chest. He was dying, she had killed him. Someone was over him; she could see the rush of people, who rushed in? Medics? Her name was being called again and someone forced her eyes away from Vikram's dying body and in their direction.

Her blue eyes clashed with the deep almost Hazel orbs, which looked at her with such concern. Her hand reached out and touched his sun kissed skin. He was crying, had she done that? Did she cause those tears to fall from his eyes? His hands fussed all over her, he was speaking but she couldn't hear a sound, not one sound. She could see someone else fussed about her to her left, her eyes meet with those deep intense coffee colored eyes that belonged to that beautiful face. She was crying too, her hand over her mouth, her long slim fingers tightly gripped onto her blood and dirty hands.

Looking down to their linked hands, she found the color so marvelous. That rich bronse skin of hers entangled with the pale Ivory complexion of her own skin. Like the balancing colors of Ying and Yang. Her eyes lifted up and she looked at her friend…Yes…she had always been her friend. Those relieved yet tear stricken eyes confirmed that.

Somewhere beyond the two teenagers at her feet she heard the frantic and rapid speaking of someone's voice, it was muffled but she could make out the nervous tick in each words. The words vaguely explained the symptoms of Panic attacks or Shock and concluded that she must be in either one of those. She turned to the sound of the voice and found another set of eyes, worry clouded them. He didn't touch her though he was just within reach if needed. He looked so absolutely terrified; his usually bright brown eyes were dark. He too was crying, the tears fell silently from his eyes.

She felt the pressure of someone's hand on her own and turned back to face those Hazel eyes, his hand rested over hers. The tears weren't stopping. Her breathing had evened out; closing her eyes she licked her lips and inhaled sharply. Her ribs were killing her.

"Rico," she said turning to him, he had been babbling on and on. "My head hurts." He shut his mouth and Lacey and Danny chuckled quietly. Beyond Rico she saw the people working over Vikram's body.

"Jo," Danny's voice forced her to tear her eyes away and look at him. "You did what you had to do to protect yourself." She knew what he meant. He was saying it wasn't her fault, that she was right.

"I killed him." She said "I shot him."

"Jo he was going to kill you." Lacey's voice fought with her, tried to reason. She didn't speak; her eyes just looked back towards Vikram.

"That's not why I shot him…" she said softly, her eyes began to blur. She turned to look at Danny. "I wasn't going to let him blame you again….My turn to protect you Desai." She felt her system begin to shut down, the corners of her eyes saw black and heard them calling for her as her body lost the strength to hold itself up.

.

.

.

.

Six weeks,

That's how long it had been since that day. Six weeks since the police rushed into the abandoned Chapel in the forest of Green Grove and found her and Vikram, the image of that day still replayed so loudly in her mind. Vikram had been hospitalized and survived long enough to be put into surgery but couldn't resist. He died on the surgical table two hours after being shot by her. Before a jury she had been found not guilty by reason of self defense and she was released. Her family, her friends, everyone she knew had supported her and cheered for her when they heard the verdict.

Still, as she stood in the now empty and dark space of that very Chapel she felt a deep sense of dread. Vikram Desai had died because she killed him, despite all the papers and the laws that say otherwise; no matter how you cover it up the truth of the matter was she had killed another person…she had ended the life of another.

Her ribs still had another two weeks before they were completely healed and her leg which was currently hidden in a huge cast still had another couple of weeks before it saw the light of day. She leaned on the crutch under her arm and let her head fall. The tears came again, like they did every day. The nightmares came every night as well, it was probably the reason why it was past midnight and she was standing alone in the darkness of that space.

She could still feel the wicked energy that was trapped here. Vikram's voice echoed endless, whispering to her his plans. She knew that while the world around her forgot, she would never be truly capable of moving on and letting it go. There was no way she would ever truly be ok.

"Jo," Danny's voice startled her and caused her to turn around in a panic, the light of his flashlight burned her eyes causing her to drop the clutch. He cursed when he saw the wild look in her eyes. "Hey, it's ok." He was at her side, his hands steadying her.

"You startled me…." She trailed off, not having really been able to speak to him face to face for the past six weeks particularly because she was avoiding him.

"Yeah, Sorry." His hand was firm and gentle all at once, taking care to not hurt her but with the strength to keep her standing.

"What are you doing here Danny?" She asked him slowly, wondering why he would be here of all places.

"I was following you." his voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes widen in surprise as she stared at him through the dim light created by his flash light and the light of the moon. "I've kind of been sleeping outside your window for the past six weeks."

"Why?" he shrugged, she could see the answer in his eyes. He was scared for her, worried for her. He was trying to take care of her. Exhaling slowly she turned to look around her; the moonlight gave the Chapel a strange kind of other earthly glow. Originally a place of refuge and solace, now it held in its rotting wood, the memories of their struggle. Here the haunting of Vikram's death would always catch up with her. "Danny…" She said quietly, not turning to look at him, though she felt the warmth of his closeness. "How did you find me?"

"What?" He asked confused, his thumb had begun to rub gentle circles on her arm.

"How did you know where to find me?" She finally turned to look at him, her heart stopped in its beat. He was so impossibly close, she could smell that oh so unique and delicious natural scent that could only possibly be him, had they ever been quiet this close? Only in her dreams. "My clue wasn't…." Her eyes drifted to his lips, she had to catch her breath as she spoke, "exactly telling." Blue eyes looked up to lock with his dark Hazel orbs.

He smiled at her, not once breaking eye contact. In the cold winter night, without the heaters that had buzzed on that night, Jo found herself heating up in his embrace. "You said crickets." He said simply, was it her or would see every hidden freckle on his face.

"So?" Where had he gotten that scar on his forehead? Was it in prison? It wasn't something you could really see unless you were paying attention, or more like it was the type of scar that was easy to ignore, gave his face definition.

"When we were kids, we used to play in this forest all the time." He began, his voice a low sweet hum, smooth and lulling. "Whenever we used to come into the Chapel you used to say that "_this place is so alone and quiet, you could hear crickets"_ even when there wasn't a single cricket singing around." she cocked an eyebrow. "That night was one of the coldest nights of the year." He explained, "Crickets hate the cold."

"How do you know that?" Jo asked with a smile slowly creeping on.

"I did my research...I did a lot of reading in Juvie." He was silent before taking a breath, "Well, on the phone I could hear them." He explained. "You probably didn't notice how loud they were, my father drew them close, with the heaters." Understanding slowly dawned on her.

"Oh,"

"Yeah, when we were kids, in the summer this place used to echo with the songs of the crickets at night. I recognized how it chorused and bounced off the walls of this empty Chapel." Jo nodded, looking around, so the Crickets had called him here.

"Thanks for finding me." She said softly, she felt his grip on her tighten and suddenly she was pressed tightly against him as he full on hugged her.

"Thank you for staying alive." His voice was a crushed whisper. Slowly she raised her hand to come up and hold him, gripping him tightly as she closed her eyes and sunk into the warmth of the hug. Her own tears fell from her eyes as she flashed back to that night, to the fear, the rush of adrenaline and anger, the desperation to live and to protect. The seconds ticked on and his hold on her didn't waver. The longer he held her, the more she felt some weight lift from her shoulder, the more she felt relief and comfort.

"Danny," She said softly, not breaking the hug "I know you didn't kill Aunt Tara." she felt him stiffen and when he began to pull away her own grip tighten and she held him closer, burying her face into his shoulder, shaking her head silently begging him not to break the embrace. There was silence for such a long time, in her mind she could hear the crickets singing even though it was cold. "He told me how he had made you take the blame for her murder." She closed her eyes, Vikram's voice whispering to her. "He said he would make you take the blame for my death and my father's death." She quivered at the thought and felt his arms bring her closer still. "I couldn't let him do that." She finally said, the tears cascaded so quickly. The desperate emotion that coursed through her frightened her. "I couldn't let him hurt you. . . not again. . . "

"So you shot him." he inhaled, closing his eyes tightly. His heart clenched in his chest, he could imagine it in his head, the desperate need to keep him safe. It was the same desperate need he had to keep her and Lacey safe.

"Danny I'm so sorry." she finally broke, after six weeks; tightly clinging onto him, she finally broke that wall she had put up. Sure in her sleep she cried and sure when she was spacing out the tears would also come, but she had never really cried and released it. Not until this moment, wrapped in his arms. "I'm so sorry Danny," Her voice cried out to him, breaking as she muffled her sobs against his shoulder.

"It's okay," He felt his heart break for her; how broken she was, how shattered and in need of mending. "Jo, I forgive you, It's okay." he felt his own voice crack as she fell apart in his arms. She wept so profoundly as he held her, releasing the agony she had carried with her for all those weeks. In his arms, in the darkness of that Chapel she found release, sanctuary and hope. "I've got you" He said as her grip on him tightened further still. "I have you, I won't let go."

So many things were running through her head. The main thing that screamed was that above anything else, she wanted Danny to be happy. She wanted to make-up for all those years he lost, for the hurt and suffering he'd lived through. She cried for him, for her, for Vikram and for everything else I between. Slowly her cries slowed and the tears receded. Slowly she could breathe much more calmly and her grip on Danny loosened. Finally pulling away to look into his eyes, those gentle and compassionate eyes that stared at her with so much love.

Just not the kind of love she wanted from him.

The smile that slowly formed on her lips came with the resignation that shone in her eyes and the defeat she felt. Yes, maybe he couldn't love her like a lover but she was family and she would have to compromise with that, just that. With being the most important person in Danny's life but not the woman he loved, at least she could give him that kind of happiness. She would bow out and let him and Lacey be.

"I won't let you go either," She said, the tear fell from her eyes and she didn't stop it, her heart was breaking for a completely different reason. "I won't let you go either." She smiled at him, leaned forward and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek. "You're the most important person in the world to me Danny." She said placing her cheek against his. "I want you to be happy."

"I want the same thing for you, and for Lacey." She nodded pulling away to look into his eyes again.

"I will find happiness," she exhaled sharply, her ribs still hurt. "You found happiness with Lacey though right?" He saw confusion visibly rock through him. It shone in his eyes and tensed his body.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't have to keep trying to protect me Danny- No wait..." she saw the protest in his eyes. "You can protect me all you want, but as long as I agree with it. Something's I don't need protecting from that doesn't mean you're not allowed to worry. Worry all you want." She laughed "Not too much though."

"Jo," he said softly but she beamed at him.

"It over Danny, everything is finally over. You can finally start over fresh and I...I will move forward with you, side by side, with you." She wiped that tear that rolled down his cheek, her hand rested on his cheek. "We're family." her voice cracked slightly. "We will always be together, We'll watch each other grow. I will definitely go to a much better college than you." His hand slowly gripped the hand on his cheek.

"Not too far from home, so we can see each other often." She nodded at his words. "Somewhere in The City maybe?"

"Colombia University doesn't sound like a bad idea." he chuckled at her.

"That's perfect." their eyes locked and she felt that flutter in her stomach, the butterflies were fluttering all around. "Then what?" he asked.

"We'll graduate and start our own lives. You'll succeed in whatever you choose, so will I." she sniffed. "You might still be with Lacey," she smiled "get married, have kids and I'll still be there married, with my own kids."

"You're going to marry your own kids Jo?" he joked and she laughed, a real laugh. One he hadn't heard from her in so long.

"You know what I mean!" Her hand still rested on his cheek and his hand still held her wrist. "We'll always be together." she said quietly. "We'll always have each other; we'll never let the other go." The silence that followed was a strained comfort. "We'll be happy and put the past behind us."

"We'll have a second chance at life." He stated and she nodded, the air around them was so cold but she swore she could hear crickets. Slowly she withdrew her hand and curled it into his as they both lowered their hands. "Jo..." She didn't know why she did it, why when he called her name in that sweet, slow and soft way she was so inclined to lifted her hand again and drag his lips to hers.

Later she would conclude that she had to at least do it once, if only once. To feel those beautifully full lips against hers. Dreams would not suffice that curious hunger so she had let her hand reach out and pull his lips to her. She had thought he would stiffen and push away, stammer about how they were only friends and though the initial reaction of shock was there, she felt him respond.

The hand that gripped her wrist tightened and she felt his body lean in closer to hers; that warmth he emitted, became a fast growing heat. She felt his free arm go around her waist and bring her closer, his mouth moved in such a perfect unison with hers. Did he have to cause such a ridiculous emotion to erupt in her? That sense of absolute wonder. Not even when Tyler kissed her had she felt so much peace and need. It was the first time that a kiss ignited inside her the strength and pleasure of feeling like a woman.

The taste of him was exotic, like some wonderful paradise you always said you would travel too but never made the time. At the same time it was an earthy feel, like the calm yet mysterious nature of a cool forest. When she pulled away from him, out of breathe she left her eyes closed, letting that lingering feeling of wholeness linger before she stepped back into reality. He didn't speak, but she felt the quick rise and fall of his chest as he too tried to catch his breathe. When she finally opened her eyes she noticed the bright light of the moon fell onto them. Inhaling deeply she looked up at him.

"Danny," she said pausing a moment to collect her thoughts. "I need my crutch." Confusion crossed his eyes and then understanding.

"Right, yeah." He pulled away waiting until she could balance herself before he knelt down to pick up the metallic device. Giving it to her, not a word was spoken. She shifted her weight onto it, letting go of his hand, perfectly capable of standing on her own.

"Daniel." It made his heart stop that she used his full name, not the pet name or the nickname. She said Daniel. "When we walk out of this Chapel, we forget everything that happened here and move forward as we said." She didn't look at him; she was looking towards the main Chapel door. "Outside these walls, you and I, we will find happiness."

"Jo..."

"You can be happy with Lacey and I..." She inhaled again, slowly let her heart settle. "I'm going to eventually find someone that will turn the world upside down for me." He didn't say anything, just simply took her hand, his thumb ran over her fingers. He wouldn't tell her now, not now. He would wait for more time to pass and things to settle. Later, when she had more confidence in herself; when he knew that she wouldn't take it the wrong way, he would explain everything to her.

He would explain how finding her blood on the road had plunged him into deep despair. He would explain how out of his mind in fear he had become when she had been missing for those long hours. Eventually he would explain to her that she really was the most important person in the world to him and though he loved Lacey, he realized the one person he could never be without was her. Eventually he would tell her that when she kissed him in the silence of the Chapel he had felt his world do a complete 180 turn and he could have sworn he heard those crickets chirp.

Someday soon, when the time was right He would tell her that they would go to college, get married, have kids and always, always be together. When that time came he would tell her how much he loved her every chance he got. But for now, he simply smiled and looked into her eyes.

"Together," His voice was gentle, she smiled at him.

"Yeah, take me home Danny." He did exactly as she asked. As they walked out of the Chapel, Danny stopped to look back just a moment. To Jo this place was a place of heartbreak and pain, to him this Chapel brought hope. The crickets began to sing and he figured they were in his mind, but he smiled as he closed the doors, thanking them for leading him to find her. "I thought you said Crickets hated the cold."

"They do."

"Then why are they singing." He smiled, and shrugged, talking his place at her side.

"Maybe they just want too." She rolled her began to talk about silly things, childish things, anything. The crickets continued to chirp. In some cultures the sound of them warned of death. In another culture the chirp of a Cricket foretold of Good Fortune.

_Soon._ He thought. _I'll tell her soon._

_.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x._

_Hope you liked it. _


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